Trust Fall
by MamaKatie
Summary: Team RWBY has been given their first solo mission as second-year students at Beacon Academy. A routine mission - meant to take place during the holidays - turns out to be much more complicated than anticipated. [Temp. Hiatus]
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure about this?"

Ruby immediately knew something was wrong when she heard the uncharacteristically timid voice coming from behind her. She stared for a moment, seeing her partner still in line with their baggage in the airship dock, her white locks of hair flowing down her back, tied back, standing out in the crowd of people surrounding her. That was unusual, considering Weiss was normally the type to storm the gates, taking the lead when it came to team RWBY's travels.

"Hmm?" the brunette turned and met Weiss halfway, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "About the mission? Of course I am! It's a great chance for team RWBY to prove ourselves!"

She grinned. While it wasn't unusual for Beacon to send the second-years on a solo mission, it was the first shot that RWBY had at one, and nothing made the hooded girl more excited. On paper, it wasn't too exciting or unusual – just searching for some relics in an ancient city on the edge of Vale – but to Ruby Rose, that meant adventures. And beating up monsters. With _her_ team. Plus, the mission was close enough to home that they could spend a few days of down-time in Patch, and getting to see her dad and uncle was always a rare treat these days. That was enough to make her heart race.

However, that train of thought brought her back to the heiress. Weiss Schnee, her newly-admitted-love and trusted partner, was never the type to be nervous about a mission. Ruby knew she hid her emotions well, so even if it there was something there, it normally wouldn't be so clear.

"Not the mission, you dolt," Weiss sighed, pinching her temples before responding, flushing slightly. "I meant…do _I_ really have to go to Patch with you? I know it's close by, but I could stay here, do some more research. I clearly have more than enough ways to meet you halfway, so you could have your family bonding, or whatever you do, and we would be more adequately prepared."

 _Ah._ Ruby smirked. That explained it.

In the two years that they've known each other, Ruby had learned nearly all of Weiss' ticks. It was necessary as partners – even moreso as friends. One of the first – and most clear – ones she learned were how Weiss always flaunted her status when she felt intimidated, and immediately threw herself into her work when she was stressed.

"Weiss," Ruby smiled, gently taking her hand, bystanders ignored. She lowered her voice, making sure Weiss knew that her full attention was on her, and that no one else would hear their conversation. "Are you…nervous about going home with me?"

Weiss' eyes widened. "I most certainly am not! I merely am working to keep up with this mission because we have a reputation to uphold and as your _best teamma—_ "

"Weiss." Ruby lowered her voice, interrupting her girlfriend before her tangent could go much further. It was a common interaction between the two – and one of the ways Ruby tried to ease the heiress into being more honest.

Weiss sighed, staring down at her hands. "Ruby, I'm not exactly used to this. You know better than anyone that family is not a topic that is easy for me. My whole family life is a trainwreck, and while I'm sure yours is much better – even with that uncle of yours – I'm worried. It's the holiday break and I've never…done anything like this before. Holidays for me mean meetings, performances, business as usual – not whatever you plan to do,"

"Weiss…" Ruby frowned. She hated seeing Weiss like this. Over the years, the horrors of what Jacques Schnee had slowly been revealed to her, and her hatred of that man only increased with every story. He was the reason she tried so hard to be perfect, and had genuine fears and nightmares over the mere idea of making mistakes, and the thought made her sick to her stomach.

"Besides, I'm sure your father would hate me," she added, visibly shrinking.

"Wait what?" Ruby blinked. She shook her head, trying to keep her thought process steady, if only for Weiss' sake. "Dad is going to love you! He's always been less protective than Yang, so if she was fine with us dating, so would he!"

Weiss shook her head, cheeks flushed pink. "Not that! I mean, that's not the main concern. I'm talking about my name, Ruby. I'm Weiss _Schnee,_ and your father's a hunter. He would obviously know about me, and my family name. We aren't exactly renowned for our charitable acts and kind words. It will follow me, and he'll hate me. Not that I haven't prepared myself fully, but I hate it."

Her honesty stung.

Ruby knew she spoke from the heart. Weiss had grown up having to isolate herself so much from others, simply to protect herself. It took a year for Ruby and her team to even begin to melt the ice walls she had erected around herself, and it pained the huntress to remember how much the hate and depression followed her partner. Weiss was one of the most selfless people Ruby had ever met, and she worked harder than anybody.

But as much as Ruby tried to persuade her, she still had the full belief that she was meant to be hated by everyone due to her father's actions. Even worse, she accepted it.

As much as it hurt, Ruby knew no words would be able to convince her girlfriend of her merits as a person. So instead she took action.

Grabbing Weiss' shoulders, she pressed her lips to hers, connecting them in a quick, yet passionate kiss.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Weiss gasped as they pulled away, eyes wide. "There are people around, you dolt!"

"I know," Ruby shrugged, grinning widely. "But I wanted to make you smile again! Your smile is worth all the stares in the world."

"I know it's scary, and I know you won't believe me," she added, grabbing Weiss' hand in one, and their suitcases with the other. "So I'm going to prove it. We're going to go to Patch, and I'm going to show off my wonderful girlfriend to my family, and they will love you. I know you don't believe it yet, and you feel lost in your own head, so right now, I'll just have faith for the both of us!"

She was rewarded. The smallest smile spread across Weiss' face, and those were the most rewarding.

"Ruby…thank you," Weiss smiled, grabbing her hand in return. "You're right. Either way, I can't hide from this forever. Let's go,"

Ruby's own grin only spread wider.

This was going to be the best mission ever.

"What is taking them so long?" Yang groaned as she looked around the airship frantically, thoughts racing a mile a minute as she searched for the rest of her team.

"Yang," Blake smiled, placing a hand over her own. "Calm down. They'll make it. Ruby wouldn't miss this for the world, and there's no way Weiss would give anyone the ammo of her being late for anything."

Yang took a deep breathe, nodding at her girlfriend, giving her a smile in return.

Blake always knew how to calm down her energy, especially when it was in regards to her younger sister. It was her aura – but mostly her smile. It was always so warm and reassuring, so much like Blake herself, even as mysterious as she tried to make herself.

Yang drank in her smile. It was so pure and loving – it gave her head a buzz and filled her heart – a feeling that never got old, even after months of being together.

"You're right, sorry," she let out a small chuckle. "I trust them, I do; I'm just worried. This is a big step for Rubbles, bringing a girl home—"

"As if you're the most experienced with that," Blake pointed out.

"ANYWAYS," Yang glared, elbowing the faunus playfully. "And Weiss is, well Weiss, and I worry for her. She's been acting weird all day, and I want to make sure she's alright. This can't be easy for her, you know how she gets whenever the word 'family' is mentioned."

Blake nodded, laying her head on Yang's shoulder, ears twitching slightly. "I know, but don't let yourself get too worked up, alright? Ruby knows how to handle Weiss, even better than we could,"

She paused.

"Though, I'm sure she would appreciate having someone fuss over her as much as you do. I know I do. It's sweet."

Yang smiled at that. She always fell into the role of 'team mom' easily, and a part of her wondered if she went to far. Her partner always took the time to show appreciation for her actions. It empowered her and always warmed her heart.

"Thanks," she blushed, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. "While on the topic though, how do you feel about all this? I know it's technically a mission, but I _am_ taking you home with me,"

Blake smiled. "I feel content. It is a mission, so it's easy enough to explain to my parents, and besides," she sat up, stretching across the bench the pair sat on, "I'm excited to meet the _famous_ father of the Xiao-Longs,"

Yang's eyes lit up. "Oh man, you'll love my dad! He's pretty great. I mean, not as great as me, or even Ruby, but hey, it's something," she laughed, grinning widely.

She loved her dad more than anything in the world, and truth be told, she was much more excited to introduce her team to him than the actual mission – not that she would ever tell Ruby that.

"Oh really?" Blake smirked, eyes narrowing slightly. "I wonder how many childhood stories of the _great_ Yang Xiao-Long I can hear?"

"You're kidding right?" Yang asked, grin faltering slightly. "…Blake?"

"I can't believe you almost missed the airship!"

"We did no such thing Yang Xiao Long!"

Weiss sunk into her seat, exasperated. It had taken approximately ten seconds for Yang to comment on the unusual situation where Weiss was not the first of the team on the ship. She loved her team dearly, but when you were teammates with Yang Xiao Long, the teasing never ceased.

"Leave her alone Yang," Ruby sighed, though it was clear she was holding in a laugh for Weiss' sake.

She rolled her eyes, trying to focus on her research papers she collected for the mission.

"We really should discuss this in more detail," she added, shooting a pointed look at Yang and Ruby.

"Weiss, we've been preparing for this for weeks now," Yang protested. "We all deserve a little break. We have team attacks, Grimm research, hours upon hours spent holed up in the library – it's the holiday! Give us a day off."

"I highly doubt tha—" Weiss began, only to be cut off by a knowing look by her faunus teammate.

"Yang's right," Blake responded, swiftly cutting in before an argument could begin. "As much as I'm inclined to agree with Weiss, because we do need to be prepared, it's not healthy to push too hard, without breaks."

"Yeah!" Ruby jumped in, throwing an arm around Weiss, despite her protests, grinning widely, slipping the book she held out of her hands. "And as leader, I declare we take the next day or so to rest up! Relax! We need to be all rested up so we can kick some Grimm butt!"

Weiss sighed, cursing her weakness to any request Ruby asked of her.

"Fine," she huffed. "But only for a day or two. After that, we are focusing solely on this mission. We have grades and lives at stake here!"

Yang leaned in close, grinning widely. "Aw, look at our ice queen, melting at the mere sight of my baby sister,"

"Yang!" Ruby protested, face red as her cloak.

"You guys…" Blake interrupted, stepping between the pair before another argument played out. Even playfully, there was only so much bickering she could stand when stuck on a cramped airship with her team, as much as she loved them.

She pointed out the window, smiling when Ruby jumped at the site.

"We're here."


	2. Chapter 2

_Even through a terminal screen, nothing was more intimidating than the office of Jacques Schnee. Weiss had been called into this office countless times throughout her childhood – being informed of White Fang activity and the countless attempts on the lives of her families, of the uselessness of hunters and why the military needed to change its leadership, and more often than not, of each individual mistake Weiss made, of how she was failing as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company and why she needed to change._

 _Weiss had once described her childhood as difficult. That may have been the understatement of the century._

 _Yet here she was, still a member of a family whose curse she bore, and even though he wasn't in person, Jacques Schnee was the source of Weiss' nightmares and her worst fear._

 _The office itself was pretty plain. A plain desk, void of anything but paperwork and pictures of Whitley – her father never did hide his favoritism well – and in the background, there were paintings of Jacques in his prime, as well as Atlas. And of course, the source of his pride – the company he had torn to shreds, the logo of the Schnee Dust Company shining brightly in the sunlight, reminding Weiss of the burden she would never escape from._

" _Ah, Weiss," he said from his throne, shoulder poised perfectly, eyebrows scrunching together, eye narrowing at his daughter. It was always business with him. "What a pleasant surprise."_

" _Hello Father," Weiss responded in kind, making sure to have a neutral expression, that the tension in her shoulder wouldn't show, and that the slight tremor in her hand was calmed. "I have called you to discu—"_

" _Yes, yes, now, there are many plans in play for this Christmas," he interrupted, glancing up one time from his paperwork, as if daring Weiss to challenge him._

" _Well actually, Father, I—"_

" _Of course, there will be the usual charity event. We need to show the Atlasian people that we, the Schnee family, are always on their side. You'll be performing, as usual, I figured you would have no objections. Then, we'll be meeting with some local businessmen. You need to get caught up as you've been busy, wasting your time at that university of yours," he rolled his eyes at that, his voice going just a pitch higher, eyes narrowing even more, causing Weiss to flinch in response._

 _She cursed internally. This was not what she had anticipated this call to turn into. Perhaps her team had made her too hopeful; she knew deep inside she shouldn't have expected anything less._

 _Biting her lip, Weiss finally spoke, trying to keep a confident voice, one that hid the terror she experienced at the idea of facing her father._

" _Actually Father, I'm afraid I will not be able to attend the event this year," she said, sitting up straighter, making sure to keep eye contact through the terminal. She couldn't back down now. "My team has been given the honor of scouting out some relics near the town of Patch. It's a mission normally held off for a few years, but given my team's experience level, we were assigned to it instead."_

 _It wasn't entirely true, but Weiss needed an excuse more powerful than a 'routine mission' if she had any chance of winning against her father. He was not a man to be trifled with._

" _I'm sorry," Jacques said suddenly, leaning in closer to the camera. "Did you just say that you weren't coming home?"_

 _Weiss gulped. "Y-yes Father."_

" _Sweetheart, we had a deal when you decided to attend this…school of yours, did we not?"_

" _O-of course Father."_

" _Please then, remind me of what that was."_

" _That, no matter what, the Schnee Dust Company was to always come first, above all else. I was not to diminish the name and reputation of our company with my actions, nor was I to put any life, mine or anyone else's above the company," Weiss recited, voice dropping to a quiet sound, as she bit the inside of her cheek to prevent any tears from falling. She despised the deal she was forced to make, how it dehumanized her and followed her. It was just another curse she was forced to bear._

" _Exactly. And how, pray tell me," Jacques sneered, a smirk appearing as the corners of his lips twitched upwards, "is this 'mission' helping the company?"_

" _I—"_

" _That's what I thought. You can tell your team that you'll be coming home and that they can—"_

" _The mines!" Weiss nearly shouted._

" _I'm sorry?" her father responded in kind, sitting back slightly, backing off, for reasons beyond Weiss' comprehension._

" _There are mines run by our company," Weiss explained, quickly thinking of an excuse. It wasn't a lie, there were definitely SDC mines nearby. " I should evaluate them, to help prepare for when I eventually run your company. I know that we have faunus there, so I figured I should investigate, make sure they are living up to our expectations. After all, we can't trust those…animals…to be flawless. They must be investigated."_

 _She felt sick as she spoke the words that she was taught so long ago to believe – ones that she absolutely hated now. She sent a silent apology to Blake as she awaited her father's response._

 _To her surprise, he smiled. "Now you're thinking more like a Schnee. Glad to see not everything I've taught you has been drowned out by those idiots," he smirked. "Very well. I will allow you to stay with your team, on this 'mission' of yours, but only if you send me weekly reports. In detail. I must know everything you plan to do, and every detail. You've damaged the company name before Weiss – but I'm giving you a chance. Don't let me down again."_

" _Thank yo—" Weiss began, a fake smile on her face, but the call was dropped. He never did like continuing a meeting with the heiress more than necessary._

 _She was content. She could stay, and things would work out. Even so, she couldn't help the fast pounding of her heart, or the voice in the back of her mind that thought things worked out a little too easily._

"…iss? Weiss!"

Weiss was shook out of her thoughts by the familiar voice of her girlfriend, looking up to see a hand stretched outwards towards her. She took it. "Ruby?"

"You zoned out there for a bit! Is someone sleepy?" Ruby teased, silver eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Of course not!" she grumbled, face turning as red as her partner's cloak, before grabbing her bags as they began to get off the airship. "I was simply minding my own business before a _nuisance_ came up and ruined my train of thought."

"Oh don't be like that! C'mon Weiss! Slow down!"

Weiss smirked as she kept walking, slowing her pace to allow her girlfriend to take her arm at the last minute. She had a lot of work to do on this trip, but for now, she would relax in the solace of the company of her true family. At least at this moment, that was okay.

 _####################_

As Team RWBY finally got off their airship, and took their first steps in the fresh air that the island of Patch gave off, Blake smiled. It was so different from Vale, from Menagerie, and it was absolutely beautiful to behold.

There was green everywhere; a forest surrounding the area, with any houses being built as log cabins, contrary to the stone and wood she was used to seeing. It wasn't the first time Blake had laid her eyes on Patch – in the years of being with her team, Blake had seen plenty of pictures in Yang and Ruby's photo albums they liked to carry, as sentimental as they were – but this was her first time being to their home town in person, and it was breathtaking.

Not for the first time, she could understand why the Xiao-Long-Rose family had decided to raise their family in this small town.

With the idea of family on her mind, Blake couldn't help but cast a look at her white-haired friend as they made the journey to Ruby and Yang's home.

Ever since the mission had been brought up, Weiss had been just a little on edge. Not enough for most to notice, but after two years of being together, there were few ticks and quirks that her team didn't pick up, at least these days.

Not that Blake blamed her. She had her own nerves about the mission, about Patch, about everything, but even so – she had a feeling that Weiss' fears ran deeper than that.

Seeing Ruby take the lead alongside Yang, leaving the monochrome pair in the back, Blake slowed her pace, keeping with Weiss.

"You're brooding," she merely commented, staring down the shorter girl with a smirk.

Weiss glared. "I most certainly do not… _brood,"_ she retorted, glaring at her faunus teammate.

"Yes you do," Blake teased, corner of her mouth twitching upwards. "You go into your Ice Queen persona, and brood. Mind telling me what that's about today?"

Ignoring her last comment, Weiss sighed. "It's nothing important. Family matters. Nothing that will derail us from our mission."

Blake sighed. With anyone from their team, the term 'family matters' was never simple, and Weiss Schnee was possibly the biggest culprit when it came to trying to shrug off the largest matters that plagued her.

Normally she would push her, but the way her shoulder sagged, and the slight fluctuation in her tone of voice, alongside Ruby and Yang only being a foot away to overhear any conversation, Blake knew better than to push to hard. It would only result in retaliation and icy walls that had finally begun to crumple to reform, stronger than ever.

"You know we're all here for you, right? Ruby, especially," she settled for instead.

"I'm aware," was the response. "Thank you, but it's really no big deal."

Her voice was laced with confidence, but Blake didn't like the wistful look in her eyes. She was confident that things were running far above any of their paygrades, even Weiss'.

Blake was silent most of their walk, choosing to instead think to herself, and observe her surroundings, as well as her team.

It wasn't long until a scream interrupted her thoughts.

"Dad!" Ruby cheered when she saw a tall, muscular blonde at the door of a larger log cabin, alone in the middle of the forest.

The brunette ran off, Yang right behind her as they tackled their father to the ground. Weiss and Blake made eye contact, before Blake shrugged, running after her team.

"Whoa, hey!" Taiyang grunted as he fell to the ground, pulling both of his daughters into a tight hug. "There's my little rose and sun dragon, I've missed you too!"

"I've missed you so much!" Ruby grinned, standing back up, nearly falling over her cape in her excitement before Weiss steadied her.

Blake couldn't help but smile. She always had the best experiences with her own family, her mom and dad being amazing parents and leaders to her, and it was nice seeing that Ruby and Yang's father had the same kind of aura around him.

The group laughed, before Taiyang finally turned to the other two in the group. Facing Blake first, he grinned. "Ah, Blake, it's good to finally meet you!"

Not wasting another second, he pulled her into a side hug. Although never in person, Blake had been in calls with Taiyang whenever Yang called home. She couldn't help the light blush on her face as she nodded. "It's nice to meet you as well Tai."

She could definitely see where Yang got her fire and energy from. It was nice to see.

"And you," Taiyang turned to Weiss, who instinctively stood up straight, taking a step away from Ruby, to give some space. "Must be Weiss! It's great to meet the other girl who stole little Rubbles' heart!"

"Dad!" Ruby groaned at the nickname, rolling her eyes.

"I-it's a pleasure to meet you as well, sir," Weiss nodded, eyes not quite making full eye contact with the hunter, Blake noted. She reached out to shake the man's hand before letting out a quiet yelp when she too, was pulled into a hug.

"Please, just call me Tai!," he laughed, waiting for Weiss to relax before letting her go. "Any family to my girls is welcome here, of course! Now, you all must be hungry, so how about I cook you all some dinner?"

With a cheer from the pair of energetic sisters, and a quiet nod from Weiss and Blake, the group all went inside. Blake smiled. It was certainly going to be an interesting mission.

#################

After dinner, Yang unceremoniously collapsed on her bed, letting out a loud, content sigh. She looked around at her room – hers and Blake's for the holiday.

Ever since moving out of the room she shared with her sister, she kept things simple. She didn't live at home anymore, but her room at Patch was still filled with pictures of family, bands and comedians. There was a rarely used bookshelf in the corner, and of course, her favorite bedsheets – adorned with yellow and orange patterns.

She smiled as her door opened, allowing her partner to enter their shared bed space. She sat up. "So, how do you like it?"

She blushed as Blake walked over, sitting next to her on her bed, head on her shoulder. "I love it. Your family, this home, it's very…you."

Yang chuckled. "Well I didn't exactly get my great tastes and standards from blowing up nightclubs," she teased, wrapping an arm around Blake, pulling her in for a kiss.

"Of course," Blake rolled her eyes. "But I'm surprised. I would think you'd want to spend more time catching up with your dad, rather than being here. You're not exactly an introvert."

"Well that's simple Blakey!" Yang grinned widely, "Because while I love our team, and I love my dad, I'm _in love_ with you. So I would much rather spend my time here,"

Blake turned red at that, though her smile only widened, and Yang had to resist the urge to pump her fist in the air.

This was the Blake that she fell in love with in her first semester. It happened so fast, she didn't even realize what it was until their second year. But it was when Blake took off her mask, revealing her true feelings and personality – that was what Yang lived for.

She had spent so long trying to bring out the real Blake Belladonna and now, she was always willing to drop her barriers, to smile and laugh, and it filled Yang's heart so much, and she lived for it.

She would never make something up like that. Blake truly was the love of her life.

"So, I was thinking…." She began, turning to look at her girlfriend. "We should go on a ride tomorrow! Bumblebee is here, and I could show you some of my favorite places in town. There's some nice outdoors places, quiet places, and even this garden I used to go to all the time as a kid to think!"

She grinned widely.

"I just thought, you know, since we're taking a day or two off before we set out on our mission for real, that we should spend it together! It's been a while since we've been able to go out on a real date, and I figure, why not now? It's the holidays, it's romantic, it's Yangtastic!"

Blake simply chuckled, choosing to ignore the pun. She grabbed Yang's hand instead, before pulling her into a kiss. "That sounds perfect, Yang."

This time Yang didn't hold back her fist pump and Blake's laughter in response was like music to her ears.

"But we really do have to get to work afterwards."

"And just like that, the magic is gone."

####################

Sitting in her own room, just down the hall from her sister's, Ruby sighed. She was sitting on her bed, sheets red as her cloak, and watching her girlfriend concentrate on some paperwork at her desk. She wasn't surprised – Weiss always made herself busy; taking a break just wasn't an option and she was never satisfied unless she was productive; but it wasn't like the heiress to back out of dinner and hide away from her team – not these days at least.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she called out, finally. It had been half an hour, and she was getting tired of waiting for Weiss to let her in on her own. Not that she was surprised – while most of her icy walls were down around the leader, old habits died hard.

Weiss turned back to her, frown on her face. "Excuse me? Talk about what, exactly? I'm sorry I'm focused Ruby, but someone has to be."

Ruby sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. So that's how it was going to be. In her years of knowing Weiss, she learned that while the love of her life was one of the kindest, most selfless people she knew, when she got nervous, she always threw out haughty remarks to push people away.

It normally worked.

The one person that would never give in, was Ruby Rose.

"I just figured, once you're done doing your usual "ice queen" thing, you'd want to talk. You know, about how you're hiding away from us, as if you've gone back to first semester?" she shrugged, jumping off her bed and walking over to her desk.

Weiss let out a noise of protest as Ruby sat on the desk, gently taking the papers from her, placing them to the side. She leaned forward, cupping Weiss' face in her hand, gently.

"You know you can talk to me, right? You've been on edge for a while now. Is it Dad? Do you not like him? I mean, I know he can be really personal – really he has a worse time at boundaries than my sister – and I know that's not your thing but I guess—"

Her ramble came as a surprise even to her. Ruby had to admit, she was nervous about Weiss coming home – she wanted everything to be perfect but her home was about far from Weiss' as it could be. She wanted to know what was up with her, but her nerves got the better of her quicker than expected.

Luckily, Weiss was there to stop her before she spiraled too long.

"Ruby!" she called out, making the huntress jump at her name. "Calm down, please. It's not your father. He's great, he really is. I admit, I am a little, out of sorts here, but really, it's nothing bad. Quite the opposite, actually. I'm sorry to worry you; I'm just lost in my own head right now."

Ruby let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. At least her worries were gone now. But she still was worried about her partner. It wasn't unusual for Weiss to be lost in her own head for hours – that was something she picked up quickly at Beacon – and something they hadn't found a solution for yet, at least not when Weiss refused to talk.

"Then what is it?" she simply asked, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Weiss' forehead. "I'd like to help, if I can."

Weiss let out a sigh, but considering she hadn't shut her out yet, Ruby counted it as a victory.

Leaning back into her chair, the heiress spoke.

"I'm just, not used to this. I know I said this on the trip here, but my holidays are full of business proposals and performances. And while we certainly are here to work, I'm out of my element because I'm surrounded by happy, festive people. My father is a cold-hearted, cruel man Ruby, and he would never welcome any of us the way your father does, let alone hug and bring out ideas of festivities over dinner. This Is new. It's nothing bad, and I even dare to say I enjoy it, but it's not what I'm used to. I don't know how to function around loving people – even after spending time with you – and I'm out of my element."

Ruby nodded along. This was nothing surprising, but it still ignited some rage inside of her – rage that she quickly bit down. Right now, Weiss didn't need anger or frustration, she needed love and support.

"Besides," Weiss sighed, staring down, eyes closed. "Things aren't exactly perfect with the company right now, so I have some extra work to get done. It's no big deal, but slacking off at the moment is a luxury I neither have nor deserve."

At that, Weiss gasped at a sudden force on her forehead. She opened her eyes to see Ruby smirking at her.

"Did you just…thump me?"

"Yup!" Ruby grinned a Cheshire smile, before leaning in. "I don't know much about your SDC stuff, but I do know that you, Weiss Schnee, deserve some time off. My dad loves you! Not as much as me, but it's the thought that counts. And even with your company stuff, I'm sure we can take some time out, to relax and help you adjust to being here."

"Ruby that's not—"

"Nope!" Ruby leaned in, kissing Weiss gently, before pulling away their foreheads still touching. "Weiss, will you go on a date with me?"

"Ruby, that sounds great but—"

"Then it's settled!" Ruby jumped away suddenly, pointing dramatically at the stone-faced heiress. "You and I, will take tomorrow off. We will go on a date, and I will help you learn to love Patch, almost as much as you love me!"

Weiss merely rolled her eyes, and Ruby knew she had won.

"Fine," Weiss said, turning away, though Ruby could imagine the blush across her face.

"Great!" Ruby jumped, giving a thumbs up, to no one in particular. "But that reminds me, is everything alright with the company? Are you going to be alright?"

Weiss tensed at that, making the huntress nervous once more before turning back to Ruby. "Of course. It's nothing too big a deal, and certainly nothing that will deter us from our job."

Ruby frowned. "That's not what I meant. Are _you_ going to be alright?"

She was concerned. She brought back the topic just the check – it was normal for SDC business to stress Weiss out – but not this visibly. A knot of nervousness rolled in her stomach.

"Of course. It's just some minor things, nothing to worry yourself over," Weiss smiled back, walking over and pulling Ruby into a hug.

"Alright, if you say so…" Ruby responded. "But we should get ready for bed. We have a big day ahead of us," she murmured into her partner's ear.

"Yes, you're right."

As Weiss left her embrace, and walked out of the room, Ruby let her smile drop. She trusted Weiss, with every fiber of her being, but she had a feeling, and not a good one.

Because Ruby Rose knew Weiss more than anyone else ever would. And she knew that while she was an earnest person at heart, the smile and reassurance the heiress gave, was anything but.


	3. Chapter 3

' _We can't allow anymore distractions, Weiss. As the heiress of my company, you cannot be seen dawdling in common affairs. We cannot afford for you to do anything to mess things up. Remember that we made you who you are, and that can be taken away at any time."_

Weiss groaned, shaking her head at the intrusive memory of her father coming into her mind. She stared at the clock, grimacing at the flashing red 2:30 a.m that appeared on the screen and sighed once more before staring back at the paperwork she'd snuck away to work on hours ago.

She looked over at Ruby, sprawled across their shared bed, guilt coursing through her body. She hated keeping things from the huntress. She hadn't _lied,_ because truth be told, she was uncomfortable in their current living situation. Being surrounded by a family that gave unconditional love, no questions asked was foreign to her, and while she certainly wasn't against the sentiment – she kept it to herself, but she had always been grateful for the idea of Tai Xiao Long, to know that her teammates hadn't had things as bad as she – she was completely out of her element.

However, she was omitting the truth. Weiss knew Ruby couldn't get involved with the Schnee Dust Company; her personality and personal aura, as much as Weiss loved it, would infuriate her father and that was something Weiss couldn't risk. Even more importantly, she refused to drag Ruby down into her own mess.

But, she thought as another heavy sigh escaped her, she knew that Ruby was much more aware of what was going on than she let on. Her brown-haired leader and girlfriend was always the observant one – it was one of the reasons she led the team so well. She highly doubted Ruby knew exactly what was going on – she had worked much too hard to keep anything family-company related to herself – but she knew the hooded girl was aware of her omissions. Even with that knowledge, however, she refused to falter. If they had to deal with her actions later, then she would. Until that happened, she would stand strong and _protect_ the love of her life from Weiss' worst fear – the wrath and power of Jacques Schnee.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those intrusive thoughts before they took over anymore, Weiss stared at her computer screen before looking once more at Ruby. She had to tear her eyes away from the spot on Ruby's stomach where her tank top had rolled up. The temptation to crawl back into bed and cuddle with her girlfriend was almost too much – though she scoffed at the realization of how much she had learned to crave physical affection in the few months she had courted Ruby.

' _Get it together Weiss. Just one more report…'_ she thought to herself, biting her lip slightly in frustration. _'Then I can go back to bed…I owe her a date, and I'm not letting Father destroy our relationship. He can't have this one.'_

She rubbed her eyes once, hand lingering on her scar just for a moment before going back to typing up the report. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Yang was humming to herself, surrounded by pots and pans as she took a spatula and flipped some eggs on the stove, having decided to make breakfast for her team when she heard a heavy sigh behind her, followed the sound of a head banging against the table.

She chuckled. "Morning sleepyhead," she smiled, making sure everything was set before turning to face her younger sister, who was laying there, hood over her head.

"Mornin'…" Ruby grumbled, pulling herself up, with a frown.

Yang blinked. Something was up. Ruby not being a morning person was one thing, but the frown she wore showed her that something was up. This was not the usual grumpy Ruby she was used to at eight in the morning.

"Alright, what's wrong?" she asked, setting the stove to a low setting and walking over, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Ruby, pulling her into a quick hug.

"Weiss is asleep," Ruby responded after a moment, a pout prominent on her face.

Yang resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course it had something to do with Weiss. Everything did, these days.

"And?" she prodded, confused at the problem. "Isn't that a good thing? Isn't our issue that the Ice Queen _doesn't_ ever sleep?"

Ruby groaned, raising her hands in the air in frustration. "Normally! But Weiss is asleep on my desk surrounded by papers and work! Even after I told her to rest. When she went to bed, she was with me, but now she's asleep at my desk and everything's wrong!"

Yang frowned. Overworking was something everyone on their team struggled with – her and Ruby with physical training, Blake with academics, and Weiss with both – but she still understood Ruby's frustrations.

Normally she'd make a joke, try to lighten the mood, but with the worried look on Ruby's face, she knew it was best to hold back. It took Ruby a long time to admit her feelings for Weiss, and whenever it came to their heiress teammate, she was always serious. It was cute, most of the time, but when things came up, Yang couldn't help but worry, just a bit. But she trusted both of them. Weiss had her stamp of approval long before she began to court her sister.

"You should talk to her, Rubbles," Yang smiled, rolling her eyes this time. Ruby had gotten much better since beginning Beacon, but outside of battle, she was certainly still working on her people skills. Didn't make her any less proud though. "Tell her how you're worried."

"I know…" Ruby grumbled in response. "I'm just…worried. She's not telling me something, Yang. I have no idea what it is, but I can tell it's wearing down on her. I just want to help. I'm her leader, partner _and_ girlfriend! She should trust me!"

Yang pulled Ruby into a tight hug, ignoring her squeak of protest. "I'm so proud of you! My little sis in leader mode!"

"Yang! Let me go!"

Yang merely laughed instead before finally relenting.

"What? I _am_ proud of you!" she smiled. "But seriously, just talk to her. Our girlfriends are alike. Just tell her how worried you are."

"I know…" Ruby mumbled. "I just…there was one more thing…it was something I wanted to do today that's bothering me…"

With the tone of her voice, and the determined look she held, Yang knew exactly what Ruby was talking about.

"Oh."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! Guess who's back? Thank you so much for your patience with this story! I'm hoping to get more updates MUCH faster than three months, but I appreciate all the support and comments given in it's stride. (Also, I finally fixed the formatting issues on this site my bad). I hope you enjoy!**

Blake grunted as she collided with her raven-haired leader in the middle of the hallway. It was much too early in the morning to be dealing with that level of energy; she didn't understand where the two sisters got theirs from.

"Hi Blake! Bye Blake!" Ruby called out as she ran past, going back up the stairs to their rooms.

Blake stared for a moment, amber eyes wide as she watched Ruby race up the stairs. The red-hooded girl was clearly in a hurry; for what, Blake didn't know. She loved Ruby dearly, but when she got going, it was hard to keep up sometimes – Yang and Weiss always had a much better hold on the younger girl, for good reason.

Shaking her head, she continued to move, walking through the doorway over to the kitchen, striding over to Yang, wrapping her arms around her partner's waist, pressing her face into her hair.

"Morning Blake!" Yang grinned in response, turning the girl around and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Looks like it's just us today."

"I noticed," Blake rolled her eyes, giving a smirk before letting go of her girlfriend. "I ran into Ruby already – literally – but where's Weiss?"

Yang paused, putting the finishing touches on their breakfast before taking two plates over to the table in the center of the kitchen, motioning for Blake to join her. "Asleep."

Blake blinked. "Weiss…sleeping in? Weiss Schnee? _Our_ Weiss?" That wasn't normal, as far as Blake was concerned. Although Yang and Ruby were much more morning people compared to Weiss and Blake, it was always Weiss that was adamant about setting alarms, making sure she never got too much sleep, lest she become unproductive. When thinking about it, Blake thought it was probably healthy for her to get some extra sleep – she needed it – but it was certainly unlike the heiress.

"Yeah," Yang nodded, taking a bite of her food, closing her eyes to savor it for a moment before continuing. "Ruby's really worried. I told her everything would be alright, but you know how she gets when something involves Weiss. There's no stopping her."

"You're right," Blake nodded, letting out a quiet sigh, ears twitching downward before staring out the window in thought.

Weiss Schnee was such an interesting case for the faunus. Their friendship was something that no one saw coming – Blake most of all. The Schnee Dust Company was corrupt; that in itself was still true to this day. But that was something everyone was painfully aware of, and Blake still held regrets over her initial opinion of Weiss simply based on her father's company – not that the girl had exactly given off the best impression in the beginning herself. But through the two years they had been teammates, the pair held a bond not unlike the bond Ruby and Yang shared. Blake had learned, through their fights – both with and against the other – that Weiss felt with every fiber of her being. She was so similar to Blake, while still being so different, and it was something that brought a new level of understanding between the two. She cared so much, and over time, Blake couldn't help but feel protective of the heiress, which was why she was a little worried about Weiss now.

She knew something was off – even if she couldn't quite pick up what yet – and she had a feeling Ruby was in the right to be worried.

"Blake?" she jumped slightly, Yang's voice bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked back at the blonde, smiling when Yang reached out, intertwining their hands together. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Blake smiled, rubbing her thumb gently across Yang's knuckles. "Just lost in thought. I think…maybe I'll talk to Weiss."

Yang smiled, lilac eyes glowing with understanding. "I get what you're coming from but…let's wait. I trust Ruby to handle Weiss. If there's anything going on, Ruby's the one who'll coax it out of her; we both know that. And besides…today is our day. I want to focus on you. On us."

Blake smiled, nodding once more in response. Yang was right. Even though she was concerned about her friend, Yang was her number one priority, and she couldn't help but be excited to spend some quality time with her lover. It had been a while since they'd had time to go out on their own, with them being so busy with their mission planning and schoolwork.

She stood up, reaching her hand out to her girlfriend, pulling her into a chaste kiss, wrapping her arms around her neck, feeling a shiver down her spine as Yang deepened the kiss.

They parted, and she felt her face flush.

"C'mon Blakey," Yang smirked, blush prominent on her face as well. She always was less suave than she liked to come off as. "Let's go for a ride."

* * *

"Urgh…" Weiss shivered as she came to, pulling the cloak around her shoulders closer together. Her entire body ached and as she looked around, she realized she was _not_ in bed with Ruby, and looking at the time, she realized it was noon.

"Shit," she swore out loud, the chuckle from across the room startling her, her hand instinctively falling to her hip, in search for her weapon.

She felt a hand brush hers, calming her down as she felt the soft, yet callused hands of her girlfriend on hers, and a kiss on the back of her neck that sent shivers down her spine.

"It's just me," Ruby whispered into her ear, causing her face to turn as bright red as the cloak that Ruby had wrapped around her in her sleep.

That cloak was a sign of Ruby's trust and love, and it warmed her heart so much, knowing that the only person Ruby would trust with it besides herself was Weiss. At the same time, the knowledge of that trust made her stomach churn in guilt. She _hated_ keeping things from her team, Ruby most of all, and when it came down to it, she did not feel she had earned this trust that Ruby had given her.

Ignoring that negative train of thought, Weiss leaned into Ruby, smiling gently. "Hi, Ruby. What're you doing?"

"Well," Ruby drawled, turning Weiss' chair so she was facing her. "I was a little worried considering my partner was not in bed when I woke up, and instead was sleeping on the uncomfortable desk. It's a little disorientating, especially when she promised to take things easy while here."

Weiss flinched. "Ruby, I had-"

"I know," Ruby interrupted, sharper than intended. "I know you have to deal with the company and...it's fine. It's okay."

"Ruby…" Weiss sighed, placing her hand on the bridge of her nose in frustration. Ruby Rose was quite possibly the worst liar she had ever met, and Weiss knew so many liars to compare to. "It is most certainly _not_ okay. Talk to me."

"Only if you talk to me!" Ruby snapped, frustration escaping outward. She took a step back, breathing in deeply when she saw Weiss' flinch and cursed inwardly. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't raise my voice. I just...you're clearly going through something and you won't _talk_ to me. I notice it Weiss, I notice. And I just wanted to take you out tonight, cause you're clearly stressed and I also kind of wanted you to meet my mom and I just wanted everything to be okay!"

Weiss waited, eyes wide as Ruby trailed off in her rant. It was only on rare occasions that Ruby shared her emotions so clearly - especially when she was feeling something as strong as anger. She had always tried to hide it; not that it ever worked on Weiss. But she was especially caught on Ruby's comment about her mother. And suddenly everything made sense.

"Your...mother?" she asked, tentatively as she stepped closer to Ruby, gently placing her hands in her own, staring up into the silver eyes now glistening with tears. "You wanted me to meet Summer?"

"...that's not the point…" Ruby mumbled, staring at the ground before returning eye contact. "But yeah. I-I know it's weird but...I just, you're important to me, she's important to me, it's dumb."

"Ruby." Weiss interrupted, placing her hand on Ruby's cheek before smiling. "I'll go. I'll meet her."

"Really?"

"Yes, of course."

"Thank you Weiss," Ruby smiled, face flushed slightly before she blinked. "But we're not done with this conversation! You're hiding stuff from me, your girlfriend and that's still not okay!"

Weiss nodded, biting her tongue. She had hoped Ruby would get distracted as she sometimes did and wouldn't push the topic. She turned away, walking outside the door. "We'll get to that eventually. Now go get ready. We have stuff to do."

Ruby sighed loudly, which Weiss tried to ignore as she stared at the window outside. She was lying, and she knew that Ruby was aware of it.

' _Sorry Ruby…'_ she sighed to herself, stomach hurting with guilt and self-loathing, before walking out the door, waiting to meet the other half of the Rose family.

* * *

There was a certain thrill that Yang always had when riding her bike; even more so since she convinced Blake to start going out on drives with her. It brought her comfort - being one who was at Beacon for a thrill, she needed something to give her that after studying - and also was simply something that gave her freedom.

Yang never held anything against her family; she was the one who decided to jump in as the caretaker of Ruby when her mother died, but it greatly restricted her freedoms. While kids were out playing, she was teaching herself how to make meals and making sure her little sister was happy. She had no regrets, but as she attended Signal, and now Beacon, freedom was something she really yearned for.

And now that she had Blake, she was able to have that freedom and show off to her beautiful girlfriend, which she was more than okay with.

She kept an eye on the road as she swerved through the familiar pattern of trees to their destination. She loved the clear atmosphere of Patch, and the forest-like environment of her hometown. The main city was great, and she loved being in Vale, but it was the more relaxing being alone in nature. It allowed her to be herself, and deal with whatever she needed to, without dealing with the risk of Ruby or anyone else seeing it.

She chuckled as she spotted her parking spot, in a small closure of trees. She gave herself a mental high five for remembering her secret childhood spot, even after nearly a year of being away from Patch, as she slowed down.

She could feel Blake's ears twitch behind her in confusion, arms squeezing Yang's waist tighter as she came to a stop.

"No need to fear Blakey!" she cheered, turning her head to face her girlfriend with a wide smile on her face. "We're here!"

There was a sudden lack of weight around her, so she hopped off Bumblebee and walked her bike over to her usual spot: next to some boulders that were placed sometime as a child.

"Not that I'm against this," a voice behind her began, making her jump before turning to Blake. "Why are we in the middle of the forest? I thought we were going to the city today?"

Yang shrugged, motioning to the faunus to follow her into the enclave. They still had a bit of a walk to go.

"Yeah, I was going to, but we had a late start due to making lunch," she responded, motioning to the basket she was carrying in her hand, "And besides, Rubes said she wanted us to go to the city tonight to grab supplies for tomorrow anyways, and I figured neither of us wanted to make two trips, so...oh here we are!"

Taking Blake's hand in excitement, she walked them over to a glade where the sunlight was shining. As they walked into the garden, Yang's smile widened as Blake gasped in awe.

Yang still wasn't sure how exactly she had found it, or how such a place existed. But here it was - her secret hideout from her childhood. There were flowers of all colors - ranging from red to blue to purple to orange - and an old abandoned bench nearby. Yang suspected someone used to live close to the glade because of the format and organization, even if the overgrown plants had gotten out-of-control over time. The grass was bright green, as it was in all of Patch, and gave plenty of places for the pair to choose where to sit.

"It's beautiful," Blake whispered, ears standing up as she looking around the area.

"Right?" Yang chuckled, laying out a blanket near the roses. She motioned for Blake to sit down as she pulled out their lunch - simple tuna sandwiches and waters - enough for a meal that would make Blake purr, but not too complicated as to risk being broken on the way. "I used to come here all the time as a kid. I found it one day, and used to come to get away. I love my family more than anything, but sometimes, I just needed some Yang time."

Blake nodded, eyes closing in bliss as she bit into the food. "I can understand that. I just never would have pegged you for someone needing quiet."

Yang chuckled, wrapping her arm around Blake's shoulder, pulling her in closer. "I may be loud and proud, kitten, but even I needed some time away from Rubbles."

She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. "It also was good to deal with everything - especially after what happened with my mom. I had to learn to calm down, something Qrow had taught me, ever since Ruby and I's adventure that almost got us killed."

Blake nodded, deciding not to comment, remembering the story of Yang's childhood she was told in their second semester at Beacon.

"So I would come here. I'd meditate, I'd train, it became important to me," Yang finished, shrugging her shoulders before grabbing her water. "I've never brought anyone else with me before though. Not before today. It's...nice."

Blake's eyes widened. "Really? Not even Ruby?"

"Especially not her. I love Rubbles but...this place would become a training ground for her so fast," Yang smirked, shaking her head at amusement of her little sister, swinging her oversized scythe.

"And besides," She stretched once more, pulling Blake in close to her, kissing her cheek gently. "Us being here, in our own little spot, is like a dream come true. It makes my head buzz with love over you,"

When Blake blushed and rolled her eyes, yet didn't turn away, Yang knew she had won.

"How did I fall for someone as cheesy as you,"

"That's my little secret Blake. I can't tell you."

She winked and as Blake laughed, Yang knew that no moment could be more perfect than any moment with Blake Belladonna in her life.

* * *

"Hey Mom," Ruby started, bouncing up and down in nervousness and she stared at the grave in front of her, Summer Rose engraved on its front. She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to come here for a while. I've been at Beacon! Just like you! It's been so great, I have such an amazing team and just like you, I was chosen to be leader. Crazy right?"

She paused, staring up into the orange light in the sky, signaling the evening. "...I really hope I've been able to make you proud Mom…"

She barely whispered the final words, biting her lips as the emptiness and loneliness that always came when thinking of her mother hit.

Ruby barely registered that she was crying until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby?" Weiss asked, pulling Ruby in close into a hug. The pair were silent for a few moments, as Ruby got her thoughts together.

"I'm okay, Weiss," she smiled as she pulled away, ignoring the glare that Weiss shot her in disbelief. She'd tackle that later, she told herself.

"Anyways!" she said, motioning between Weiss and the grave in front of her. "Mom! This is Weiss Schnee, my teammate, best partner in the universe and, get this, she's my girlfriend! She's great!"

Weiss flushed at the introduction, making Ruby's heart skip a beat as she watched her girlfriend step up closer, doing a polite curtsy that made Ruby chuckle. Weiss was really taking this seriously, and she appreciated that.

"Hello, Mrs. Rose," Weiss started, smiling down at the engraved words. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. As your d-daughter told you, I'm Weiss. I do my best for our team, so I'm glad to finally make your acquantence as well,"

Ruby smiled, assuming the conversation was over - she hadn't expected much out of this, it was more sentimental than anything - but Weiss continued.

"You should be proud of your daughter, I know I certainly am," Weiss smiled, glancing over at Ruby, eyes shining with joy. "She's the kindest, most selfless person I've been able to know. She's a great leader; she even puts up with me _and_ her sister-er, no offense ma'am. She's grown so much in the year I know her, and know that I'm honored to be her teammate...and girlfriend."

"Weiss…" Ruby stepped closer to her, gently grabbing her hand and squeezing. Words couldn't describe how happy she was, how that feeling of emptiness was lifted, at least temporarily from her chest. "She's pretty great, right Mom?"  
Weiss did one last curtsy before nodding to Ruby, giving her a quick kiss before walking away, giving her some privacy. She knew this meant the world to Ruby, and she had done her best to perform her best in front of Ruby's hero, something Ruby knew she had to repay her for later.

As she walked away, dress blowing gracefully in the wind, Ruby smiled once more.

"I miss you so much…" she said. "But, I know you're always with me, mom. I love you so much. And I'm going to keep making you proud! We're going on our first big hunt as a team tomorrow, and I'm so excited! Team RWBY will be the next Team STRQ, I just know it!"

She bounced in excitement, grinning widely, before coming to a stop, finally placing her mom's favorite flower on the grave.

"Thanks for listening Mom. I'll see you soon," she smiled once more, putting her hood back off before turning around.

With that, Ruby bounced away, jumping on Weiss from behind, ready to go home to prepare.

She knew things were going to only go up from there. This mission was going to be a success and then she and Weiss could work out...whatever it was that they needed to work out.

In her excitement, she just barely missed the flutter of a figure in the distance, sprinting off in the other direction.

"Looks like it's almost time…" the figure muttered to a radio on the other side of the world, smirking before starting its' run to report once more.


End file.
